


A very special gift

by twin_fics



Series: Gardening is always the answer [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, And you can use them as night lamps too, Arkenstones are a sign of goodwill, Cheeky Thorin, Confused Wizards, Hobbits Being Awesome, Humor, M/M, Thorin-in-a-box toy have a gift for you, the problem with harvesting Arkenstones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-09-25
Packaged: 2018-02-17 16:05:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2315396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twin_fics/pseuds/twin_fics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gandalf receives a very special gift from his favorite hobbit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> More than two hundred kudos in the first part of this series, wow! Thank you everyone, I’m really happy that this universe has been so warmly welcomed. The next story was going to be the second part of this series, but as it’s rather short I’ve included a short snippet with the idea that originally inspired this universe and why I didn’t follow it in the end. You need to have read the first part of this series to understand it.
> 
> I hope you like it! ^__^
> 
> Un-betaed, so all the mistakes are still mine ;-)

A few months after the Battle of the Five Armies things were unusually calm in Middle-earth. Goblins seemed to have retreated to the very depths of their caves; it had been weeks since an orc attack had been last reported; even the evil inhabitants of the lands of Mordor seemed to have been put to sleep.

As Bilbo’s birthday was rapidly approaching, Gandalf decided to take advantage of the unexpected break to pay his favorite hobbit a visit. After all it had been years since the old wizard had had the time to use his abilities in something as innocent as preparing a few fireworks for a good friend’s party.

As it couldn’t be in any other way, Gandalf’s arrival coincided exactly with the celebrations ordered by King Thorin in honor of his consort. The wizard’s fireworks were greatly appreciated by everybody. There was just a minor problem with a stolen firework but Gandalf was sure that Fili’s eyebrows would grow back with time. Kili’s beard didn’t even merit the name before the incident.

The next morning, after Bilbo and the old wizard had enjoyed second breakfast together (Thorin had departed to attend to his kingly duties hours ago), the Istari received a very special gift from his hobbit friend, as it was tradition among his race.

At first sight it didn’t look so special. It was just a plain gold ring that didn't look too impressive but as the hobbit confided in the old wizard the ring had the wondrous ability to turn the person who wore it invisible.

The wizard paled when he heard that. 

To Bilbo’s immense surprise, as soon as he put his gift on Gandalf’s hand his friend threw it into the nearest fire.

Silencing the hobbit’s protests, the Istari carefully recovered the ring from the fire with an iron poker and left it on the table.

As if confirming his worst fears, a flowery writing slowly appeared inside the old ring. 

_Magic Ring, vintage 2941 T.A. Produced by Bilbo Baggins_

“If you didn’t like it you only had to say so,” the hobbit grumbled a bit offended, taking the abused ring from the table and putting it inside his writing desk’s drawer with the rest. “I would have you know that Nori loved it.”

Strangely enough for such a wise and witty being, the old wizard didn’t seem to have anything to say about that. 

But you'll have to fogive him, for never in his long life had Gandalf the Grey been so close to suffer a stroke.

 

+++  
BONUS:  
What first inspired this series was the idea of hobbits being able to grow glowing stones similar to the Arkenstone to light up their hobbit holes. It was going to be something like this:

_They’re all reunited in Bad End. Gandalf has given Thorin his father’s map and they are going to examine it._

Gandalf: Bilbo, please bring more light to better see the map.  
Bilbo: right away *leaves the room*  
Thorin: And when we reach the mountain the burglar will get...  
Bilbo: Here, if this is not enough I can bring more. *leaves a glowing stone that it’s the spitting image of the Arkenstone on the table*  
Thorin (ignoring Bilbo): …the Arkenstone, the most beautiful and unique stone in all the Midl- *double take looking at the gem that Bilbo has brought*  
Everyone but the hobbit: ...  
Bilbo: So, what did you say you needed a burglar for? *directing his words to Thorin*  
Thorin: Absolutely nothing.

The end.

And that’s why I decided to change it a bit XD.


	2. Harvesting Arkenstones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, what do we do now with so many Arkenstones?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to Raire who first gave me the idea that inspired this. Thank you! ^__^

After the Battle of the Five Armies, news of Erebor’s recovery by Thorin and his Company quickly spread throughout the lands of Middle-Earth. Soon, hundreds of dwarves started arriving in waves to the Lonely Mountain, hoping to establish their home in their native stronghold once more. In a few months the mountain was swarming with activity, the Company’s main effort focused on restoring Erebor to its former glory and reviving the trade with its neighbor kingdoms (mainly Bilbo and Balin’s task given that Thorin’s grasp of the fine art of diplomacy didn’t go any further than glaring the other kingdom’s poor emissary to an inch of their death).

But this story isn’t about Erebor’s inhabitants and how they adapted to living again in their former home or, in the case of the king’s hobbit consort, in a new home completely different from his original one.

No, this story focus on how Arda’s inhabitants adapted to the shocking fact that now there were many Arkenstones, when only one had ever existed before.

This is the story of how the Arkenstone’s role changed with time.

This is the story of the results of… _Harvesting Arkenstones_.

~~

**A few weeks after the Battle of the Five Armies**

Gloin and Dori had been tasked with inspecting how well had fared the tunnels of the second level in the northern part of Erebor after so many years of neglect. The two friends were walking together, checking carefully his side of the tunnel, when the red-haired dwarf surprised his companion with a sudden question.

“So…what do you think we should do now with so many Arkenstones?” It was obvious by his troubled frown that the recently appointed treasurer had been pondering on that question for a few days now.

“Honestly, I have no idea. Nobody could have guessed that something like this could happen. Can you imagine it? Being able to grow gems and precious metals just like that?" Dori huffed. "It’s unnatural.”

“Yes, it is,” Gloin easily agreed. “Hobbits are very strange creatures indeed. It’s fortunate that they’re not interested in those kind of things.”

“That’s true,” the tailor nodded. “But to feel so indifferent in front of the Arkenstone's incomparable beauty. It's almost a sacrilege! I’m still shocked that our Burglar only saw a convenient torch when he found it.”

A sudden light appeared in Gloin’s eyes.

“A torch...” he wondered, caressing his soft beard pensively. "Say Dori, do you think Gimli is too old for a night lamp? I wonder if Bilbo would be able to grow an Arkenstone with a yellow hue. I think it may look rather nice in a night stand and I'm sure it will be much more useful than a candle. A lot cheaper too..."

The sound of Dori’s jaw hitting the floor was the only reply the red-haired dwarf got.

~~

**A month after the Battle of the Five Armies**

“Cousin, we’re very grateful for the help you have given us this past month,” Thorin grabbed Dain’s shoulder in brotherly gesture of friendship. “We have advanced much in the restoration of Erebor thanks to you and your men.”

“Think nothing about it, cousin,” the king of the Iron Hills replied, copying Thorin’s gesture with a broad smile.

“Nonetheless, I’d like to give you this as a sign of goodwill between our people,” the king of Erebor turned towards his desk and returned with an ornate chest in his hands.

“Here,” Thorin put the small chest on his cousin’s hands and nodded to the other dwarf signaling that he may open it.

When Dain carefully raised the chest’s lid, he was greeted by the light of a glowing stone of marvelous beauty, its shine like silver in the firelight.

“The Arkenstone?” the king of the Iron Hill’s raised a bushy eyebrow in a silent question. “I’ve four of these already, why should I accept another one?”

“This one is pink.” Thorin replied with a beatific smile.

It would be a long time before the newly crowned King Under the Mountain let his cousin forget how the Iron Hill’s king had hungered after Erebor’s ancestral treasure.

A very long time.

~~

**Five months after the Battle of the Five Armies**

In the negotiations that followed the end of the battle with Azog’s forces, king Thorin gifted Thraundil with a gorgeous glowing stone, as a sign that all the bad blood between their kingdoms was in the past.

It was so stunningly beautiful that, if the elven king didn’t know any better, he would have mistaken it for the very heart of the Lonely Mountain.

Thraundil immediately commissioned a beautiful crown to mount the stone and he made sure to wear it the next time he visited Erebor to discuss the opening of new trade routes through the elven forest, now that the darkness that had plagued it for so long had suddenly started to recede.

As soon as Thraundil and his guard entered the throne room, he noticed the looks of badly hidden surprise in the face of many of the dwarves. If the elven king had allowed on his face other than an expression of elegant disdain, a proud smile would have undoubtedly graced it.

“Mommy, mommy,” a small dwarfling whispered quite loudly, tugging insistently on his mother’s skirt as soon as the elven king and his vassals passed the place where they were waiting respectfully for their turn. “Why is the Elf King wearing a night lamp on his head?”

Fortunately for the still tentative friendship between the two kingdoms, the boy talked in khuzdul so none of the elven guests really understood what he had said, but seeing Thorin’s suspiciously gleeful smile and how red his polite hobbit consort had turned at the child’s words, Thraundil wisely decided that it would be better for his image if he didn’t wear his new crown in public anymore. At least if there were dwarves in the vicinity.

And it was such a pity. It glowered so beautifully in the dark.

~~

**Ten months after the Battle of the Five Armies**

“Here, king Bard,” Thorin gave the tall archer a silver engraved chest, smiling friendly at Dale’s new ruler. “I would like you to have this, as a sign of goodwill between our people.”

“I knew it!” Bard complained as soon as he opened the lid. “An Arkenstone, of course. What do I want this for?”

“No idea,” replied the dwarf king with a gleeful smile. “But it makes a mean night lamp, I assure you.”

~~

**A year after the wedding between Erebor** **’** **s king and his hobbit consort**

“I’ve been working on this for a few months,” Bilbo took out a small bag from under their bed and turned to his dwarf husband with a shy smile. “Here, I would like you to have this in commemoration of our first year of matrimony.”

Thorin opened the small bag and carefully emptied its contents on his hand.

“A heart-shaped pink Arkenstone!” the dwarf king exclaimed, awed by the gem’s perfect shape. “You’re such a romantic, ghivashel.”

And then the dwarf king proceeded to show his burglar how much he appreciated his beautiful gift.

~~

**Two years after the Battle of the Five Armies**

After the unexpected calm that followed the recovery of the Lonely Mountain by Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór (and Mithrandir always made such a strange face when Elrond discussed with him the sudden withdrawal of darkness from the lands of Arda shortly after the Battle of the Five Armies), it was decided that a conclave between the rulers of the main kingdoms of Middle-Earth would be held every five years.

The first one was held in the newly recovered dwarf stronghold and the Lord of Rivendell couldn’t help but marvel at how fast the dwarves had worked to return Erebor to its former glory.

The last time he had visited Erebor’s throne room, Thrór was still the ruler of the Lonely Mountain, but Elrond hadn’t forgotten its impressive architecture, so different from the fluid lines that elves favored. Everything looked as it had looked so many years ago.  

Well, not everything.

“Am I wrong or there is a heart-shaped pink Arkenstone on Thorin’s throne?” the Lord of the Last Homely House discreetly whispered to Thraundil, who was serenely walking beside him.

“Don’t ask,” the blond elf king whispered back, losing none of his statuesque appearance. “Believe me; you really don’t want to know.”

~~

**First conclave of the Races of Arda, Lonely Mountain, 2943 T.A**

“Lord Elrond, can I have a word with you?” king Thorin beckoned Rivendell’s ruler to his side, an exquisitely engraved chest on his hands. “I want to take this chance to properly thank you for welcoming us in your halls a few years ago. It’s not much, but I hope you like it,” the dwarf king smiled, giving the chest to Elrond.

“I’m glad to have been of use,” replied the Lord of the Last Homely House with a serene smile. Inside the small chest was a stunningly beautiful gem, very similar to the glowing stone presiding Thorin’s throne but with a delicate green hue. “I’ll be an honor to accept such an unique gif-“

“Wait a moment, that's not fair!” they were suddenly interrupted by king Thraundil’s exclamation of outrage. “Mine doesn’t have any colors!”

~~

In conclusion, this is a story about how the greatest dwarven treasure of all time, the Arkenstone, was turned into fancy night lamps for the people of Middle-Earth, due to the unexpected intervention of a certain honey-haired hobbit.

In a way it was a pity that such a magnificent stone had such an ordinary fate.

But they glowed so prettily in the dark.

 

+++

 

EXTRAS:

I’d like to take the chance to answer some of the questions I’ve received about this universe, and to share some of the funniest comments with all of you. I hope you enjoy them ;-)

~~ 

**Questions** : Maybe some of you have wondered about…

 _Can the China rot in this universe?_ \- A question posed by madamepenguin

For Hobbits the China might not rot but lose its freshness until it wilts (its colors fade, scratches and dents appear on its surface, it breaks more easily...), but I assure all of you that Belladonna's China was so good that it lasted as fresh as the first day for many years.

 ~~

 **Funny comments** : Many of your comments were very funny but the next two really caught my attention.

A comment from wanderingsmith in the first part of this series:

_After all kings were made of sterner stuff._

you mean like stainless steel instead of gold?

 

Now thanks to wanderingsmith we all know what are kings really made of in this universe. ^__~

 ~

A comment from cats_eye78 in the first chapter of this part of the series:

One ring to plant them all,

One ring to grow them,

One ring to fertilize them all,

And in the afternoon bloom them

In the land of the Shire where the Hobbits lie.

 

Just one word: Awesome!


	3. I sign of goodwill for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by my sister's comment when she read chapter 2. I'm no Photoshop artist, but I hope it makes you laugh.

 


End file.
